Always on Display on Mobile: Reasons to Activate It or Not

In recent years we have seen how those Android news that came as almost a “curiosity” have remained as fundamental options for many users. We refer to functions such as game modes, the famous dark mode and of course, Always On Display. This last feature is increasingly present in all types of smartphones, but it is convenient to know it thoroughly to be clear about its advantages and disadvantages.

The reality is that manufacturers have lagged far behind in the development of battery efficiency and capacity, while our smartphone was needing more and more energy. For this reason and to avoid sacrificing sophisticated designs, parallel technologies have been strongly developed. Now the energy efficiency of the processors, the screen, the software is enhanced and of course, functions such as Always On Display are added , which mix the aesthetic section with energy saving.

What is Always On Display for

The Always On Display function (AOD from now on in this post), is a tool that allows users to customize their mobile lock screen to show the time, date , battery status, notifications and more while the screen is off. The objective of this is to reduce energy consumption by not having to turn on the screen so many times, which is what really consumes more energy, as it is done tens or hundreds of times a day.

Its use can be more or less effective, depending on the terminal in which it is activated. This function was initially reserved for terminals with an AMOLED panel, which only turns on the necessary pixels on the screen, thus increasing the aforementioned saving and making sense of this mode. Even so, and in both cases, there are certain advantages and disadvantages of activating the AOD on our mobile.

ALWAYS ON DISPLAY

Advantages of AOD

  • See information at a glance : this is your main advantage. It allows that at a glance and without turning on the screen, we can check the time, the battery level or the pending notifications.
  • Battery consumption : this advantage is relative and can also be found as a disadvantage as we will see later: However, AOD will save battery for users who turn on the screen too many times a day, compensating for the information that the mode offers, compared to the energy that it spends the screen when turning on the mobile and accessing the same information.
  • Automatic deactivation : there are certain times when AOD can deactivate itself, such as when the terminal is in the pocket or turned over. In addition, the system can also disable it when the battery is low.

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Disadvantages of AOD

  • Battery consumption : Ironically, AOD can also backfire. It is precisely in the previous case that we have seen before. The function will consume more energy in the mobile phones of users who do not typically turn on the screen too many times a day for the classic time queries or pending notifications. If this is the case, this function will take precious milliamps that would not go away with the screen completely off.
  • Privacy: depending on the configuration, it can expose sensitive information when notifications or other information arrive on our device. It is continuously displayed on the screen within easy reach of anyone.
  • More and more sophisticated: this, far from being an advantage, the truth is that it tarnishes the essence of Always On Display. As the different layers of the manufacturers go around the function, it fills with colors, animations and more elements, which of course will consume more and more energy.

What conclusions do we draw?

The truth is that the idea is really good, as long as the user makes a very intensive use of the on-screen queries so that the savings make sense. However, its modernization with new functions, colors or animations, can jeopardize its essence and that the battery consumption skyrockets. In addition, we have to bear in mind that its activation still makes sense on OLED and AMOLED screens, while other screen technologies will not take advantage of the function, offering a “false” sense of savings.